There are four measurable qualities one should look for in a DIAMOND. All of which contribute greatly to the value of any one diamond.

As the beginning of this century, a system of diamond grading by color was first devised in the United States. The various names given to certain colors were derived from what were then newly-discovered sources in South Africa. This system is today referred to as the “old terms”.

The old terms were based on a series that ranged from colorless to yellow, with almost imperceptible transitions through nine color grades. Most of these designations were derived from the names of former diamond mines, for example “Wesselton” for the Wesselton mine. The term “Cape” is derived from the Cape of Good Hope, form which region diamond with a strong saturation of yellow were said to have come.

The above information notwithstanding, what’s important to remember is that Color can represent as much as 80% or more of the value of your diamond.

To the right is a chart which compares the old terms against the GIA grades, together with other more and less descriptive terms.

More than color and degree of purity, what attracts us to a given diamond is the way it plays with light. The more it sparkles, the more it “scintillates” or breaks white light into rainbows, the more we are likely to value that diamond.

The quantity of light reflected depends on the number, size and symmetrical arrangement of its facets or faces, as well as on the quality of polish.

Up until a few years ago little importance was attached to the quality of a diamond’s cut. That changed in 1970 when Germany’s RAL (equivalent to our GIA) classified cut into four categories: very good, good, medium, and poor. According to RAL standards, consideration must be given to a cut diamond’s proportions, symmetry and external blemishes in order to determine which category will apply.

Since the first century B. C., people have prized the circular “brilliant” shape above all others. Today the term applies exclusively to the circular form of cut which exhibits at least 32 facets and a table on the crown, and at least 24 facts and an octagonal culet on the pavilion (illustration coming soon).

Diamonds are formed deep inside the Earth’s mantle. Only later, through violent upheavals in the planet’s crust, are diamonds then brought to the surface. Meanwhile, during the formative phases, their carbon is subject to variations in pressure, temperature, and rates of cooling.

These variations affect a diamond’s internal structure in many ways. The most common results are “inclusions” --alterations in the molecular structure of a diamond which take the shape of a cloud, fracture, cleavage, tension crack, or all of the above. Alternatively, the inclusion may be comprised of minerals present during the growth process of the diamond.

At the beginning of this century, when Paris was the most important trade center for diamonds, commercial experts first began to observe and judge the stone’s internal features. To Designate a difference between the rare diamond with no internal flaws and the large quantity with did contain inclusions, these experts created two terms; “pure” for “clean” and “piqué” for “spotted” diamonds.

In the late 1920’s, the GIA began to designate classifications for the various degrees of clarity. These gradations took into account the number and size, as well as the type of inclusions in a given diamond. The first GIA designations were” Flawless(Fl); Very, Very Slightly Imperfect (VVSI); Very Slightly Imperfect (VSI); Slightly Imperfect (SI); and Imperfect 1-3 (I1-3). Later, Piqué 1-3 (P1-3) was added. Today the purity chart looks pretty much the same.